The Cycle Diet

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“The best thing about the cycle diet is the mental liberation of eating whatever you want not just guilt free, but with the positive mindset of knowing you’re feeding your body

The cheat day is the best day of the week. I start with two packs of bacon, sourdough dripping with butter, plus some pancakes covered in chocolate sauce, or covered in peanut butter or syrup (or sometimes all three), and I maybe add a pint of Ben & Jerry’s or a cream cake to finish.

…and that’s just breakfast!”

Mark S

“The results I have already achieved with the combination of the Cycle Diet, Innervation training, and MET/Hybrid training have been amazing and will only get better with time.

Scott goes above and beyond my expectations and continues to impress me with his dedication to his clients and his innovative approach to fitness.”

Allen C

“Proof yet again at how well the Cycle Diet works and just how good Scott is! These photos were actually taken four days after an all out cheat day.

So yes you can definitely stay as lean as you want all year round on this diet. It’s the easiest thing to follow in my mind.”

Andy S

The diet strategy that Scott Abel used for decades to keep himself and his clients near photoshoot ready, year-round.

The Cycle Diet is based on years of experience, testing, tweaking, and research. Scott’s used it for himself, and for many of his top coaching clients.

Unlike other “cheat-to-lose” diet strategies that take a few studies out of context, the Cycle Diet is based both on the research and on actual experience. (Actually, a few years ago, Scott was approached by a researcher studying leptin who told Scott he was years ahead of the published research.)

Frequently Asked Questions About the Cycle Diet

Can I lose fat on the Cycle Diet?

Yes, in this case, if you do it right, many people over time you can lose fat on the Cycle Diet. This occurs as your body adapts and you get leaner, or you put on more muscle. If you’re having cheat days, it’s very slow. Although Scott doesn’t like the term, this would be akin to what most people in the fitness industry call “re-comping,” or trying to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. It’s possible, but it is very slow.

What this means is that if you want to lose fat ASAP on the Cycle Diet, then either you’ll have to cut out some of the cheat days and cheat meals.

When and how to implement cheat days on a fat loss diet is dependent on your own body and what it is telling you. Some people (for example, Kevin Weiss above) need a massive cheat day a few weeks out from a national natural bodybuilding competition. Other people will need fewer energy spikes. One of Scott’s principles is that the diet should fit the individual, not the other way around.

Scenario 2. You still want to lose a fair amount of weight:

The reality here is that you won’t be using the cheat days until after you lose the weight. In order for the cheat days to be beneficial, you must train your metabolism, and part of doing this is leaning out.

Most “cheat day” diets say rubbish like “Oh just add in a cheat day,” or “Just add in after you go low-carb for X days.” The former is nonsense, and the latter is trying to force your body into Supercomp, which you can’t do — at least, not really.

Cheat days only work if you’ve put in the time to train your metabolism. The bulk of the book and the course is about how to do this.

The GOOD NEWS here is that the meal plans and action steps for “getting into” supercomp where you can enjoy massive cheat days also function as sound advice for a practical, useful diet strategy to lose fat.

SUMMARY: If you want to lose fat, these products will definitely help you, but if you have significant weight to lose, you won’t be implementing the cheat day portion until later on.

How can insanely huge cheat days be good for your physique?

First off, you can’t get fat in a day. It’s just not possible.

Secondly, before you begin having regular large energy spikes and cheat meals, you put your body into “supercompensation mode.” This means you are glycogen-depleted and low on leptin. The cheat days are exactly what your body needs, and when you do it right you don’t gain any fat — instead, you replenish your energy and spike your metabolism and your fat-burning.

The Cycle Diet is a sound, proven nutritional strategy.

Once you get going with regular spikes, it’s amazing how easy (and fun) this diet is. But yes, you do have to get into supercompensation mode. You won’t have a big cheat day your third day on the diet. Anyone selling a “cheat to lose” diet along those lines is lying to you.

This diet is real. It has been used by regular people, by champion natural bodybuilders, by figure competitors, and by Scott himself. It has been tested over the course of decades. It can be used by anyone willing to pay attention to Scott’s principles.

What do I eat for the rest of the week, when it's not a cheat day?

This is explained in the video, which contains simple formulas for calculating your daily calories.

You do not have to eat some insane low carb, ketogenic diet. It is a moderate, sustainable diet filled with all three macronutrients.

Can I really eat whatever I want on a cheat day?

Yes.

In fact, eating 10,000 calories or more on a cheat day is not unheard of.

(Note: On the Cycle Diet you do not force-feed yourself. Lots of people will not eat that many calories, simply because they don’t want to. Your body will require lots and lots of nutrients, and you eat what you crave and are hungry for. If you force-feed yourself you’re doing it wrong. Simple as that.)

How do I know this works?

Put simply, it’s been tested and proven time and again with Scott’s top clients.

The reason this works is because you coax your body into supercompensation mode. Yes, you have to do it right. And yes, it takes work — you have to stick to the diet.

No, you can’t just randomly add a cheat day into your diet. That’s silly.

This diet is based on getting your body into exactly the right state. This diet is proven, fun, and sustainable.